4th of July Exercise

There are many ways to exercise — as we are discovering here: passively, actively, resistance, cardio, weights..

And so many things to exercise as well: abs, glutes, biceps, self-discipline…

Today we celebrate our country and stop to consider one of the first exercises in citizenship we ever learn: The Pledge of Allegiance to the flag.

Red Skelton learned the pledge the same way I did, and I remember as many of you do, too, the words “under God” being added when Eisenhower was President. It was an interesting time. Some felt there were compelling reasons to specifically point out that our nation was “under God.” Most folks simply felt we could assume that our country would remain strong so long as we kept our faith strong — in whatever way each individual found best.

As we grow past that first exercise of citizenship, we are not likely to forget how we first learned to respect the symbol of the freedom — freedom that allows us differ in it’s very expression.